10 March 2011

Libya: Sayyid Ahmad Mindas al-Sanussi member of The Interim Transitional National Council

The Norwegian daily Aftenposten published today (paper edition only) an interesting interview with the 77 years' old Sayyid Ahmad Mindas al-Sanussi, a member of the former royal family of Libya who has got a role in the so-called Interim Transitional National Council, which has been established by "the revolutionary people of Libya". The Transitional National Council is meant to represent the free parts of Libya until the Gaddafi regime has been overthrown, and - according to its website - to "guide the country to free elections and the establishment of a constitution for Libya".

According to Aftenposten, al-Sanussi represents the political prisoners in the council. The website refers to a Zubiar Ahmed El-Sharif holding this position, but I guess it could the same person? Aftenposten uses the name Ahmad Zubayr Ahmad al-Sanussi. At the Royal Ark I can only find one person with a similar name as Aftenposten's - Sayyid Ahmad Mindas bin Sayyid al-Zubayr al-Sanussi, who was born at Mersa Matruh in 1934 as the oldest child of Sayyid al-Zubayr bin Sayyid Ahmad as-Sharif al-Sanussi and Sayyida Fatima binti Sayyid Muhammad al-Rida al-Sanussi.

Aftenposten writes that Sayyid Ahmad Mindas al-Sanussi was imprisoned in 1970 after a countercoup against the Gaddafi regime failed. He was not let out before in 2001. The Transitional Council member doubts that there is a chance for restoration of the monarchy, and speaks highly of the chairman of the council, Mustafa Muhammed Abdul Jalil, who has earlier served as Gaddafi's Minister of Justice: - Jalil is an honourable gentleman and is well respected among the people here. It is documented that he on several occasions has dared to oppose Gaddafi's will while he was a minister and also earlier, when he was a judge. He is a good leader of the council!

If/when the Gaddafi regime falls, I gather that Jalil has a great chance of becoming Libya's next leader. I have earlier written that "it is only a question of time before the regime lead by the "Guide of the Revolution" and de facto head of state, Colonel Muammar Gaddafi, goes into history ...". I still think his days are numbered, but the civil war that has broken out could go on for quite some time.

So far no news about the pretender to the Libyan throne, Crown Prince Sayyid Muhammad following the interview he gave to Al Jazeera in February. Isn't it on time for him to return to Libya to get involved? Updated on Wednesday 23 March 2011 at 14.35 (minor language mistake corrected).

2 comments:

I agree that if the head of the royal house wants his family to have any sort of special role in Libya's future, rather than just its past, he needs to go there and join his compatriots. It seems, however, that he may not want any such role.

This blog is written by Dag T. Hoelseth, a Norwegian historian specialising in royal history.
I have a Cand.philol. degree in history from the University of Oslo and graduated in 1997 with the dissertation Det nasjonale kongedømme. Det norske monarkiet 1905-1910, which dealt with the royal election in Norway 1905 and how the new dynasty "became Norwegian".
I am the author of Historisk utredning om Kongehuset, dets apanasjer og disponible statseiendommer, which was published on behalf of the Palace Committee in 2001. The report focused among others on the history of the Norwegian civil list from 1905 to the 1970s as well as the properties the king of Norway has to his disposal.
I have made contributions to several antologies and also written articles for various publications. More often I have operated "behind the scene", consulting newspapers etc. with background information.
Among my other interests are genealogy, Norwegian-American emigration history, US presidential history, traveling, football and ice hockey.